Fraunhofer Umsicht has compiled an interactive map that tracks the build out of chemical, also called advanced, plastics recycling in Europe, listing facilities, technologies, nameplate capacities and project status. The dataset indicates that developers plan around 2.8 Mt per year of capacity across the continent, while only about 0.29 Mt per year is currently operational. Pyrolysis is the dominant pathway in the pipeline and in existing assets, whereas larger gasification plants have not yet entered service. For system context, European steam cracker sites and capacities are included as a separate overlay to link potential recycled feed output to downstream cracker infrastructure. The scope covers pyrolysis, gasification, solvolysis and solvent based processes as well as enzymatic and hydrothermal routes, and includes tire pyrolysis. In total, 65 projects are reported in the pipeline. The dataset is maintained by the institute's Sulzbach-Rosenberg branch and was last updated in October 2025.
Key findings
- Scope: 65 projects in the pipeline across Europe.
- Planned chemical recycling capacity, excluding cancelled and operational projects: 2,799 kt/a.
- Operational today: 18 plants totaling 289 kt/a (pyrolysis 262 kt/a, solvolysis 19 kt/a, solvent-based 8 kt/a). No gasification plants are operational.
- Technology mix of planned and operational capacities: pyrolysis 1,938 kt/a, gasification 860 kt/a, solvent-based 68 kt/a, solvolysis 102 kt/a, enzymatic 50 kt/a, hydrothermal 70 kt/a.
- Discontinued projects: 9 chemical recycling projects, 819 kt/a, have been officially cancelled, including 7 pyrolysis projects totaling 791 kt/a.
Expert perspective
"EU-level regulation on chemical recycling remains unsettled, and national implementation is pending. Meanwhile, lower fossil feedstock prices, high energy costs, and imports of low-cost recycled materials from Asia pose a challenge to the price competitiveness of European recycling, both mechanical and chemical. Together, these factors create uncertainty for investors. Moreover, many advanced recycling technologies continue to face challenges with operational stability, yields, and product quality. Nevertheless, Europe remains a leader in innovation in plastic waste management, as reflected in patent filings, even as China, South Korea, and Japan have been catching up," says Prof. Matthias Franke, Director of the Sulzbach-Rosenberg branch of Fraunhofer Umsicht.
Methodology and scope
- Coverage: chemical and advanced recycling projects in Europe, including pyrolysis, gasification, solvolysis, solvent-based, enzymatic and hydrothermal routes. Tire pyrolysis is included. European steam crackers are mapped as a separate overlay for system context.
- Capacities: nameplate capacities reported by companies or public sources, rounding may occur.
- Last update: October 2025. The dataset is maintained and updated periodically by Fraunhofer Umsicht, Sulzbach-Rosenberg.
About Fraunhofer Umsicht
The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology Umsicht develops technologies, products and services that conserve resources and strengthen the competitiveness of the economy.
The Sulzbach-Rosenberg branch focuses on chemical recycling process development, pilot and demonstration scale testing, system assessments and downstream processing.
Direct access to the interactive map.
Advanced and Chemical Recycling Facilities in Europe Planned and installed recycling and steam cracker capacities (Updated 2025-10)
